Equipment Storage Soffit Assembly

ABSTRACT

An equipment storage soffit assembly comprises a base and a blocker door which is movable relative to the base between a closed state and a transit state. In the closed state the door cooperates with the base to form a storage space bounded at its bottom by the base and at its front by at least a portion of the blocker door. In the transit state the door is displaced from its closed state to accommodate transit of equipment between a stored position and a deployed position. The stored and deployed positions are on sides of the door that are opposite to each other when the door is in the closed state.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter described herein relates to an equipment storage soffit assembly, components of which may be components of a headwall unit for a hospital room. One example application for the storage soffit assembly is for storing a traverse rail.

BACKGROUND

Hospital rooms may include occupant lift systems for moving patients a short distance, particularly patients with severe mobility impairments. Such systems include ceiling tracks and a traverse rail. When the lift system is not in use it is desirable to conceal the traverse rail in a storage space to improve the aesthetics of the room. The present application discloses a soffit assembly suitable for such equipment storage.

SUMMARY

An equipment storage soffit assembly comprising

a base, and a blocker door which is movable relative to the base between a closed state and a transit state. In the closed state the door cooperates with the base to form a storage space bounded at its bottom by the base and at its front by at least a portion of the blocker door. In the transit state the door is displaced from its closed state to accommodate transit of equipment between a stored position and a deployed position. The stored and deployed positions are on sides of the door that are opposite to each other when the door is in the closed state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the various embodiments of the equipment storage soffit assembly described herein will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hospital room showing a headwall unit, a bed, components of a patient lift system including a traverse rail, and an equipment storage soffit including a blocker door for concealing the traverse rail when the rail is not in use.

FIGS. 2-4 are side elevation views of the soffit of FIG. 1 showing the blocker door in a closed state, a transit state and an open state.

FIG. 5 is a plan view taken in the direction 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 6-11 are perspective and side elevation views of a second variant of the soffit assembly showing a door component thereof in a closed state (FIGS. 6-7) a transit state (FIGS. 8-9) and an open state (FIGS. 10-11).

FIGS. 12-18 are perspective and side elevation views of a third variant of the soffit assembly showing a door component thereof in a closed state with a traverse rail stored in a storage space bounded by the soffit (FIGS. 12-13) a transit state corresponding to a traverse rail moving from its stored position to a deployed position (FIGS. 14-15) a closed state with the traverse rail deployed outside the storage space (FIGS. 16-17) and a transit state corresponding to the traverse rail moving from its deployed position to its stored position (FIG. 18).

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a fourth variant of the soffit assembly showing the door component thereof and an actuating mechanism usable to manually move the door between its closed, transit and open states.

FIGS. 20-23 are side elevation views of a fifth variant similar to that of FIGS. 2-4 but in which displacement of the door causes translation of the traverse rail along at least part of its path of longitudinal travel.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a sixth variant of the soffit assembly showing a door component thereof and a powered actuator commanded by way of a switch to move the door between its closed, transit and open states.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a seventh variant of the soffit assembly similar to that of FIG. 24 but employing a proximity sensor for commanding the actuator.

FIGS. 26-29 are side elevation views showing an eighth variant of the soffit assembly similar to that of FIGS. 12-18 with a spring loaded hinge connecting the blocker door to a soffit base.

FIGS. 30-33 are side elevation views showing a ninth variant of the soffit assembly in which the blocker door is a flap made of a nonrigid material

FIGS. 34-37 are side elevation views showing a tenth variant of the soffit assembly in which the blocker door is located behind a soffit lip (FIGS. 34-35) or in front of a soffit lip (FIGS. 36-37) and translates transversely relative to the soffit base to move between the closed state and the transit state.

FIGS. 38-39 are side elevation views showing an eleventh variant of the soffit assembly in which the door and soffit base are first and second bars of a four bar linkage which also includes third and fourth bars extending between the base and the door.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a room in a hospital or other health care facility. The room includes a hospital bed 30 and a headwall unit 32. A typical headwall unit includes features and components such as electrical outlets, medical gas outlets, cabinets, shelves and equipment bays, not shown in FIG. 1. Further description of headwall units can be found in existing literature, including US Patent Application Publication 2010/0095604. FIG. 1 also shows a set of directional arrows 34, 36, 38 indicating longitudinal, lateral and vertical directions.

FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2-4 also show a lift system used for moving a patient between, for example, the bed and a stretcher, the bed and another bed or the bed and a chair. Use of the lift system is usually reserved for patients with severe mobility impairments. The lift system includes a pair of longitudinally extending tracks 44 tied to the structure of the facility by appropriate structural connections 46. The lift system also includes a traverse rail 48 connected to the tracks so that the rail can move along the tracks in the longitudinal direction. The lift system also includes a lift motor 50 inside a motor housing 52 suspended from the traverse rail, a tether or strap 54 extending from the motor and a hook 56 attached to the free end of the strap. A caregiver can move the traverse rail and motor housing in the longitudinal direction by pulling on the strap or hook in a direction having a longitudinal component. The caregiver can move the motor laterally along the traverse rail by pulling on the strap or hook in a direction having a lateral component. The caregiver can use a remote control unit, not shown, to command operation of the motor in order to retract or extend the strap, thus raising or lowering the hook. In a typical operation the caregiver positions the motor housing above a patient occupying the bed, secures the patient to a harness or sling, not shown, hooks the sling to hook 56, and then uses the control unit to operate the motor and raise the patient off the bed. The caregiver then uses strap 54 or hook 56 to pull the motor housing laterally and/or longitudinally as already describe to position the patient over a destination location, such as a nearby chair. The caregiver then operates the motor again to lower the patient into the chair.

The room also includes a lift motor cabinet 60 beneath one of the tracks 44. Cabinet 60 includes a door 62 and a back wall 64. When the motor is not in use, the caregiver can improve the overall aesthetics of the room by using the strap or hook to pull the motor housing to a point on traverse rail 48 underneath track 44, and then using strap 54 or hook 56 to pull the traverse rail longitudinally until the motor housing resides inside cabinet 60. The caregiver can then close cabinet door 62. Although the illustration shows only one cabinet, a second cabinet could be provided beneath the other track.

The room also includes an equipment storage soffit assembly 70 comprising a base 72, a blocker door 74 which is movable relative to the base between a closed state (FIG. 2) and a transit state (FIG. 3). The blocker door is also movable to an open state (FIG. 4). A hinge 76 connects the blocker door to a door support structure, such as base 72 of the soffit assembly. The base may be a component of headwall unit 32. In the closed state door 74 cooperates with base 72 to form a storage space 80 bounded at its bottom by the base 72 and at its front by at least a portion of blocker door 74. In the illustrated embodiment the storage space is also bounded at its back by wall 82 of the facility and at its top by the ceiling of the facility. In the transit state the door is displaced from its closed state to accommodate transit of equipment, specifically traverse rail 44, between a stored position 86 inside the storage space and a deployed position 88 outside the storage space. The transit state of the blocker door includes not only the position seen in FIG. 3 but other transitional positions between the open and closed state. The stored and deployed positions are on sides of the door that are opposite to each other when the door is in the closed state. When the lift motor housing is stored in its storage cabinet 60, traverse rail 44 is concealed in the storage space 80 behind the blocker door thereby further improving the aesthetics of the room.

Illustrated blocker door 74 includes a partition 90 and a lever 92 which extends transversely relative to the partition. The lever may be one or more local angle elements or may be a more laterally continuous component such as the lever seen in FIG. 5, which includes cutouts 94 to accommodate recessed light fixtures 96. In the illustrated embodiment partition 90 and lever 92 are oriented substantially perpendicularly to each other such that with the door in the closed state, partition 90 extends vertically and perpendicularly relative to base 72 and one leg of the lever extends away from the partition toward the back of the storage space. The soffit assembly of FIGS. 1-4 includes a damper 100 extending between the lever and the base.

In operation a caregiver opens door 62 of cabinet 60 and pulls on strap 54 or hook 56 to pull the motor housing 52 longitudinally out of the cabinet. Because the motor housing is suspended from the traverse rail, the traverse rail also travels longitudinally. When the traverse rail contacts the blocker door the rail begins to swing the door open by rotating the door about hinge 76. With additional longitudinal travel of the traverse rail the door continues to open (FIG. 3) and, in due course, becomes fully open (FIG. 4). The damper 100 prevents the door from slamming open. When the caregiver wishes to store the motor housing and traverse rail he or she pulls the motor housing back toward cabinet 60. When the traverse rail contacts lever 92 the traverse rail begins to swing the door closed. With additional longitudinal travel of the traverse rail the door continues to close and, in due course, returns to the closed state of FIG. 2. Damper 100 prevents the door from slamming closed.

FIGS. 6-11 show a soffit assembly 70 which includes a back element 104 which bounds storage space 80 at its back. The soffit assembly also includes a friction reducer for reducing friction between the door and an item of equipment during equipment transit. The friction reducer can take a number of forms, including patches or strips of low friction coating material applied to the door. The illustrated embodiment of the soffit assembly includes a first friction reducer in the form of a first roller 110 for reducing friction between the door and an item of equipment, e.g. traverse rail 48, during equipment transit out of the storage space, and a second friction reducer in the form of a second roller 112 for reducing friction between the lever and the item of equipment during equipment transit into the storage space. The first roller is spaced from hinge 76 in partition direction P by a first roller offset distance 114 selected such that the first roller intercepts an item of equipment transiting out of the storage space. The second roller is spaced from hinge 76 in lever direction L by a second roller offset distance 116 such that the second roller intercepts the item of equipment transiting into the storage space.

The embodiment of FIGS. 6-11 operates in a manner similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4. As a caregiver pull motor housing 52 longitudinally out of storage space 80 the traverse rail contacts the first rollers 110 causing the blocker door to begin to swing open. The rollers rotate about their own axes to accommodate the relative motion between the traverse rail and the blocker door. With additional longitudinal travel of the traverse rail the door continues to open (FIGS. 8-9) and, in due course, becomes fully open (FIGS. 10-11). When the caregiver wishes to store the motor housing and traverse rail the traverse rail contacts the second rollers 112 causing door 74 to begin to swing closed. Once again the rollers rotate about their own axes to accommodate the relative motion between the traverse rail and the blocker door. With additional longitudinal travel of the traverse rail the door continues to close and, in due course, returns to the closed state of FIGS. 6-7.

FIGS. 12-18 show an embodiment of the soffit assembly in which the door support structure is vertically spaced from soffit base 72. Specifically the door support structure is the facility ceiling or a suitable support component vertically spaced from the base. The door is a segmented door, with each segment 74A, 74B, 74C laterally offset from its neighboring segment to define intersegment spaces 120 laterally aligned with tracks 44, and with a hinge or hinges 122 dedicated to each door for connecting the door segments to the ceiling or other door support in such a way that no hinge extends laterally across an interhinge space 120 or track 44. As a result the portion 124 of traverse rail 48 that extends into the track is able to travel longitudinally past the hinge.

In the soffit assembly of FIGS. 12-18 the door is oriented perpendicularly to the base when the door is in its closed state (FIGS. 12, 13, 16, 17) and nonperpendicularly to the base when the door is in its transit state (FIGS. 14, 15, 18). As appreciated best from FIGS. 13 and 18, the storage space has a depth no less than the depthwise dimension E of the item of equipment to be stored in storage space 80 plus a depthwise projection DP of door height H when the traverse rail is transiting into the storage space and the door is at its maximum displacement. The maximum displacement occurs just before the traverse rail clears the bottom edge of the door as seen in FIG. 18. The minimum depth allows the traverse rail to overtravel into space 80 far enough to allow the door to swing shut under the influence of gravity.

FIG. 19 shows a variant of the soffit assembly including an actuating lever 130 extending from door 74, a connecting link 132 having a first end 134 connected to the actuating lever and a second end 136 connected to a handle 138. Displacement of the door can be effected by transfer of motion from the handle to the actuating lever. Specifically, linear motion of the handle pivots the door on its hinge. A user uses the handle to swing the door open in preparation for transiting the traverse rail from its stored position in storage space 80 to a deployed position outside the storage space. The user uses the handle to swing the door closed after the traverse rail has been returned to the storage space. If desired the user can also close the door during the time the traverse rail is deployed. The mechanism of FIG. 19 is illustrative; mechanisms other than the linkage of FIG. 19 can be used.

The embodiment of FIGS. 20-23 is similar to that of FIGS. 2-4. In FIGS. 2-4 the item of equipment transiting between its stored and deployed positions causes displacement of the door. By contrast, in FIGS. 20-23 displacement of the door causes translation of the equipment along at least part of its path of longitudinal travel. In FIG. 20 traverse rail 48 is at its stored position 86. In FIGS. 21-22 a user, having translated the traverse rail toward the front end of space 80, uses linkage 142 to pivot door 74 about hinge 76 so that lever portion 92 of the door scoops the traverse rail out of space 80. In FIG. 23 the user, having translated the traverse rail to a position just outside space 80 uses linkage 142 to pivot door 74 about hinge 76 so that partition portion 90 of the door scoops the traverse rail back into space 80. Using the door as a scoop in this fashion may be especially useful when placing the traverse rail back in its stored position 86 because back wall 64 of lift motor cabinet 60 limits the user's ability to exert a longitudinal force component on tether 54 as the motor housing gets nearer to the back wall 64.

FIGS. 24-25 show a variant of the soffit assembly whose blocker door 74 includes a partition 90 hinged to a base (as in FIG. 3, for example) 72. An actuating lever 130 extends from the door. A powered actuator 150 is connected to the actuating lever and mounted to a mechanical ground such as facility wall 82. A signal generator commands operation of the actuator. In FIG. 24 the signal generator is a manually operated switch 152. A user uses the switch to command the door to open prior to moving the traverse rail out of storage space 80 or to close after having moved the traverse rail back into the space. In FIG. 25 the signal generator is a proximity sensor 154 for detecting proximity of the equipment and the door. As the user pulls the stored traverse rail toward the front end of space 80, the proximity sensor senses the proximity of the door and generates a signal to command operation of actuator 150 thereby pivoting the door on its hinge and opening the door. Similar proximity sensing is used to close the door after the traverse rail has been returned to the storage space. If required the proximity readings from sensor 154 can be used to synchronize movement of the door with the position of the traverse rail while the door is in its transit state.

FIGS. 26-29 show an embodiment similar to that of FIGS. 12-18 except that hinge 76 connects blocker door 74 to soffit base 72 rather than to a door support structure vertically spaced from the soffit base. A spring 156 has a neutral or undeflected state in which it holds the door in its closed state, i.e. with door partition 90 in a vertical orientation. When the door is displaced from its closed state by contact with the traverse rail as the rail moves out of or into the storage space (FIGS. 27-28) the spring exerts a counterforce so that once the traverse rail clears the door (FIG. 29) the counterforce urges the door back to its closed state.

FIGS. 30-33 shows a variant in which blocker door 74 is a flap 158 made of a nonrigid material. One example, as shown, is a fabric that hangs vertically in the closed state and is pushed aside by the traverse rail during transit. Another example is a material such as a rubber whose modulus of elasticity enables it to be displaced from a closed state (oriented vertically) to a transit state (flexed by contact with the traverse rail as the rail moves out of or into storage space 80) and to spring back to the closed state after the traverse rail has cleared the door.

FIGS. 34-37 show variants of soffit assembly 70 in which blocker door 74 translates transversely relative to the base to move between the closed state and the transit state. In FIGS. 34-35 soffit base 72 includes a lip 160, and door 74 is a vertically slidable panel 162 connected by a sliding connector 164 to the side of the lip facing storage space 80. A powered actuator 150 is connected to the panel and mounted to a mechanical ground. A signal generator commands operation of the actuator. Signal generators such as the manually operated switch 152 of FIG. 24 and the proximity sensor 154 of FIG. 25 are suitable. FIGS. 36-37 show an arrangement similar to that of FIG. 34-35 except that vertically slidable panel 162 is connected by a sliding connector 164 to the side of lip 160 facing away from storage space 80 rather than toward storage space 80.

FIGS. 38-39 shows a variant of soffit assembly 70 in which door 74 is a panel 162 and in which the door and soffit base 72 are first and second bars of a four bar linkage. The four bar linkage also includes third and fourth bars 166, 168 each extending between the base and the door. In operation the door translates along an arc 170 to move between the closed state and the transit state. Any suitable actuation scheme may be used such as a manual system (e.g. FIGS. 19 and 20-23) or a powered system (e.g. FIGS. 24, 25).

Although this disclosure refers to specific embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the subject matter set forth in the accompanying claims. 

We claim:
 1. An equipment storage soffit assembly comprising a base; a blocker door which is movable relative to the base between: a) a closed state in which the door cooperates with the base to form a storage space bounded at its bottom by the base and at its front by at least a portion of the blocker door and b) a transit state in which the door is displaced from its closed state to accommodate transit of equipment between a stored position and a deployed position, the stored and deployed positions being on sides of the door that are opposite to each other when the door is in the closed state.
 2. The soffit assembly of claim 1 including a hinge for connecting the blocker door to a door support structure.
 3. The soffit assembly of claim 2 in which the door support structure is the base.
 4. The soffit assembly of claim 1 in which the door support structure is vertically spaced from the base and the door is a segmented door, each segment being laterally offset from its neighboring segment.
 5. The soffit assembly of claim 3 in which the base is an element of a headwall unit.
 6. The soffit assembly of claim 1 including a back element which bounds the space at its back.
 7. The soffit assembly of claim 1 in which the door comprises a partition and a lever which extends transversely relative to the partition, the soffit assembly also including a hinge connecting the door to a door support structure.
 8. The soffit assembly of claim 7 in which the partition and the lever are oriented substantially perpendicularly to each other such that with the door in the closed state the partition extends vertically and perpendicularly relative to the base and the lever extends away from the partition toward a back of the storage space.
 9. The soffit assembly of claim 1 including a friction reducer for reducing friction between the door and an item of equipment during equipment transit.
 10. The soffit assembly of claim 9 including a first friction reducer for reducing friction between the door and an item of equipment during equipment transit out of the storage space and a second friction reducer for reducing friction between the lever and the item of equipment during equipment transit into the storage space.
 11. The soffit assembly of claim 9 in which the door extends in a partition direction and the lever extends in a lever direction, the first friction reducer is a first roller spaced from the hinge in the partition direction and the second friction reducer is a second roller spaced from the hinge in the lever direction.
 12. The soffit assembly of claim 11 in which the first roller is spaced from the hinge in the partition direction by a first roller offset distance, the second roller is spaced from the hinge in the lever direction by a second roller offset distance, the first offset distance being selected such that the first roller intercepts an item of equipment transiting out of the storage space and the second offset distance being selected such that the second roller intercepts the item of equipment transiting into the storage space.
 13. The soffit assembly of claim 1 in which the door is oriented perpendicularly to the base when the door is in its closed state and nonperpendicularly to the base when the door is in its transit state, the storage space having a depth no less than a depthwise dimension of an item of equipment to be stored in the space plus a depthwise projected door height when the door is at a maximum displacement.
 14. The soffit assembly of claim 1 in which the displacement of the door is effected by an item of equipment transiting between the stored and deployed positions.
 15. The soffit assembly of claim 1 in which displacement of the door effects transit of an item of equipment along at least a part of its travel.
 16. The soffit assembly of claim 1 in which the item of equipment is a traverse rail.
 17. The soffit assembly of claim 1 comprising an actuating lever extending from the door, a connecting link having a first end connected to the actuator and a second end connected to a handle and in which the displacement of the door is effected by transfer of motion from the handle to the actuating lever.
 18. The soffit assembly of claim 17 including a hinge connecting the door to the base and in which a linear motion of the handle pivots the door on the hinge.
 19. The soffit assembly of claim 1 comprising an actuating lever extending from the door, a powered actuator mounted to a mechanical ground and connected to the actuating lever and a signal generator for commanding operation of the actuator.
 20. The soffit assembly of claim 19 in which the signal generator is a manually operated switch.
 21. The soffit assembly of claim 19 in which the signal generator comprises a proximity sensor for detecting proximity of the equipment and the door.
 22. The soffit assembly of claim 19 including a hinge connecting the blocker door to the base and in which operation of the actuator pivots the door on the hinge.
 23. The soffit assembly of claim 1 including a hinge connecting the blocker door to the base and a spring for urging the displaced door to the closed state.
 24. The soffit assembly of claim 1 in which the door is made of a nonrigid material.
 25. The soffit assembly of claim 1 in which the door translates transversely relative to the base to move between the closed state and the transit state.
 26. The soffit assembly of claim 1 in which the door translates along an arc to move between the closed state and the transit state.
 27. The soffit assembly of claim 26 in which the door and base are first and second bars of a four bar linkage which includes third and fourth bars each extending between the base and the door. 